Woodbury Post 501 Newsletter - August 2020
Legionnaires,
Below is the Post 501 E-newsletter for the month of August 2020.
Commanders Corner: It has been a month since I took over as Post Commander. So far the ship has not sunk nor have I heard of any mutinies rumor. So I think I am doing fine. One of the privileges that I had this past month was visiting with a Korean War veteran. He had just moved to Woodbury a few weeks ago and his adjustment had not been easy. So the VFW Post 9024 Commander and I paid him a short visit. It was a pleasure to sit down with him to talk about his time in the war, what he did afterwards, and where he was living prior to his move to Woodbury. I like to believe that our visit with him helped improve his day and his overall mood. If you know a veteran that has been isolated during this time all it takes is a phone call or a stop over to cheer him or her up. That is the whole idea behind the American Legions Buddy Checks. It is a great program that I plan on focusing on as we progress through defeating this virus.
Post Meetings: As you know the Woodbury City Hall has cancelled our conference room reservations for the remainder of 2020. Our July Post meeting was held over a teleconference call. During the meeting it was discussed what we would do for meeting venues for the rest of the year. Post Commander Dolan put a proposal on the table to use the conference rooms at the Green Mill restaurant or over at Birdie Golf in the Valley Creek Mall for our future meetings. With much discussion it was decided for the safety and concern for our members we will continue with the teleconference Post meetings for the rest of the year. Having the monthly meetings over the phone is your best opportunity to join our meetings and to get involved in the inner workings of your Post. We need to hear your voices and opinions. Look for the email announcing our meeting on 27 August.
Membership Update: It is a new membership year. At our July meeting we had 75 renewals, which is a great start. We are hoping shortly we will hear what our renewal goal is for 2021. With your help again we will crush it. As always the best way to renew is at www.legion.org. So the sooner you renew the longer you can enjoy all of the benefits that go with a Legion membership.
Volunteer Hours: One of the measures that the Posts get recognized each year is the amount of volunteer hours our members serve throughout the year. We normally collect this information from the members that attend our monthly meetings. I know that there are a lot more members that volunteer on a weekly basis that we need to gather information from. If you volunteer at an organization such as, a local charity, youth programs, VA home, etc., I would ask that you send me your hours at the end of each month to dolanrp@verizon.net or call 703-851-5416.
Upcoming Events
2020 Poppy Days: The decision has been made, in coordination with VFW Post 9024, to reschedule poppy distribution on 18, 19, 20 September, with the two organizations distributing poppies the same weekend. Distribution has been discussed with merchants and process will include masks and social distancing. As always we are mindful for the safety for our members and the Woodbury community. We have been in touch with members to volunteer in support of this activity, as poppy distribution is our primary annual revenue source. Commander Dolan reported that he has 12 volunteers from the Post. We are waiting the number of VFW volunteers to develop a firm roster & schedule. For uniformity it was suggested that Legion members volunteering for Poppy Days wear a white polo shirt, with Post inscription, black pants and dark blue jacket. More information will be coming shortly.
Joint Veterans Picnic: This event has been officially cancelled. I know that a lot of people look forward to the picnic each year to get together with our veteran friends. Hopefully as we get on the other side of COVID-19 we can have our Veterans picnic next year.
Woodbury Lions Club 10th Annual Golf Tournament: The Annual Lions Club Golf Tournament, in memory of Dick Stafford, will be held on August 10th, at Eagle Valley Golf Course. A portion of the proceeds goes to the upkeep of the Woodbury Veterans’ Memorial. The event will include box lunch, range balls, putting contest, a 4-person scramble, silent auction, dinner and awards receptions following the golf. Many prizes and surprises! Register now at https://www.planmygolfevent.com/35489-WoodburyLions_Golf_2020/. If you would like to volunteer working the registration table, stuffing goody bags or putting together the silent auction table give me a shout at dolanrp@verizon.net or 703-851-5416.
Member Spotlight: National Korean War Veterans Armistice Day is observed each year on July 27th. It is a time to remember the over 50,000 American troops who died in the conflict and over 100,000 wounded, and thousands of prisoners of war. For those that made it back to their family and friends let us stop and salute our Korean War Post 501 members: A salute to our Korean War members: Arthur Antonissen, Robert Comstock, Rudy Fadlovich, Bob Halter, Rohland Halvorson, Raymond Holupchinski, Marlow Kom, David Jensen, Herb Lyson, Ken Markwardt, John McNally, Robert Mikitka, Allen Nippoldt, Clarence Oehlke, John Oyer, Norman Severson, & Dean Shepersky. https://militarybenefits.info/korean-war-veterans-armistice/#ixzz6TnjWrHoM
Nothing in life is to be feared, it is only to be understood. Now is the time to understand more, so that we may fear less.
